If your idea of "premium economy" air service is the few extra inches of legroom you get in Delta's Economy Comfort or United's Economy Plus seats, you'll be blown away by true premium economy. Of course, improvements that big usually come with a downside: In this case, it's the price (tickets cost from one-and-a-half to almost three times the price of regular economy tickets). However, the extra room, plus extra baggage and preferred boarding, can more than make up for it.

Among the airlines you're likely to fly—none of them based in North America—15 provide true premium economy on at least some of their long-haul planes. Here's our assessment, with fare comparisons for midweek travel in mid-March 2013.